Rob Ukawuba, here taking the ball to the basket against New Brunswick High School early in the season at the Brunswick Challenge, is a big reason why the Bears are 17-1 and one of the best teams in the state this winter. JEFF GRANIT staff Rob Ukawuba, a senior on the East Brunswick High School boys basketball team, is the perfect example of why the Bears are currently 17-1 and among the best teams in New Jersey.
If the Bears are on the attack, Ukawuba will post up near the basket and dominate by muscling his way for easy layups or rebounds. In other situations, the 6-foot-4 forward can shift to the perimeter and pull up for effortless long-distance jumpers. If he’s on the other end of the floor, he is an intimidating defensive force with his shot-blocking ability. The one constant with Ukawuba, who leads the Bears in scoring with 16.6 points per game, is that he can put the ball in the basket.
So it is with all his teammates who blend together to form a multifaceted attack anywhere on the court, resulting in an unprecedented season for the Bears. As the regular season winds down, East Brunswick has captured first place in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Red Division and has nailed down the top seeds in the conference and NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV tournaments. Included in that résumé are two impressive victories over Red Division rival St. Joseph of Metuchen High School, which has been the dominant team in Middlesex County basketball for years.
“I think [our style] changes depending on our opponent,” said Ukawuba, who is headed to the New Jersey Institute of Technology next year on a full scholarship. “On some nights, we focus on scoring and rebounding. On others, we like to handle the ball, find the open man and rebound. Then we sometimes like to lock up [shut down] a great player. … and, of course, rebound.”
Like Ukawuba’s scoring ability, East Brunswick’s one constant for winning is crashing the boards, and the Bears do it well, no matter the competition. They feature no less than four players who sweep the glass for an average of at least five rebounds a game and Ukawuba leads the rotation with seven a contest. With his size and physicality, Ukawuba could very well hang a sign across his muscular upper torso that declares, “You can enter my territory, but do so at your own risk.”
“What make our team so great,” said Ukawuba, “are the different things our players can do. Gary [Baumer, guard] is a great outside shooter, as everybody knows. Jake [Krantz, center] is a great garbage man and gets plenty of blocks. Danny [Lueng, guard/forward] can shoot the three, defend and rebound even though he is one of our smallest players because of his jumping ability. And Amir [Bell, guard] handles pressure great and knows how to distribute the ball. He, too, is an effective rebounder and one of our best defenders.”
Add the many attributes to the lineup that Ukawuba brings and there is little wonder many longtime observers put this edition at the top of the list of great East Brunswick teams to play basketball in its 50-year plus history.
The head coach, Bo Henning, who has headed the program for nearly half of that time (24 years), knows what a special player he has in Ukawuba.
“Honestly, there hasn’t been a whole lot of change in Rob since his freshman year,” he said. “He has always been physically and mentally mature, well beyond his years. Maybe the biggest difference this year has been how he has adapted to his role as captain. Rob could not be doing a better job of leading the team. He has everyone’s back, including the staff, which is no surprise because that’s been the case since he entered the program.”
Ukawuba believes there is one significant difference between what he has displayed on the court this year versus his past seasons. “I used to play like a big man, posting up, rebounding, looking for blocks,” he said. “I had the opportunity to play with Team Jersey Elite [one of the top AAU programs in the state] and develop my guard skills. It helped me with my ball handling, outside shooting and ability to pull up and pass.”
Ukawuba displayed maturity beyond his years when he first started playing sports. His father, Hyacinth, and mother, Charity, arrived in the U.S. from Nigeria and lived in Atlanta, Ga., where Ukawuba’s two older brothers, Harry and Michael, and sister, Tina, were born. The family moved to Newark, which was where he was born, and then to Sayreville. That’s where he signed up to play basketball for the St. Stanislaus Kostka R.C. Church recreation program when he was 4 years old.
“My brother, Michael, was very tall for his age and the coach at St. Stan’s begged my mom to let him sign up and play,” he said. “When that happened, my other brother and I asked my mom if we could play, too.”
That began a love affair for Ukawuba with the game that has grown to where he has become one of the best high school players in the state. As a member of the East Brunswick varsity team, he recently became the fifth player in East Brunswick history to score 1,000 points for his career.
“I tried football in the seventh grade,” said Ukawuba, “but was put on the line and lost interest. I always thought about using my ability in track and I might do that this spring. We’ll see.”
Ukawuba will be wrapping up his senior year and understands there is further work to be completed in the classroom.
“My parents have always stressed academics over anything else,” he said. “They have told me that since I’m playing basketball, I have to sacrifice time with friends and other activities. My parents remind me not to get distracted by other things and stay focused on my goals. My father stresses hard work, to maintain a solid work ethic and encourages me by stating if I can succeed in basketball, I can do the same in school.”
Ukawuba said this season has been especially memorable and, like his father’s admonition, has his eyes focused on two important goals — winning the GMC and state championships. “This season has been so much fun,” he said. “It’s been the best of my high-school career and I’ve been blessed with being part of such a good team and coach. We’re hoping that this season continues to go as well as it has. We have a lot of support with family and a great group of fans.”
Henning said the same dedication Ukawuba demonstrated since he arrived as a freshman will serve him well when he graduates from East Brunswick.
“Rob works harder now than when he did when he was younger,” said Henning. “That’s only going to help him when he moves on to Division I college basketball.”